The legal field may see a lift in lateral hiring in the months ahead. More than half (58 percent) of lawyers recently interviewed by Robert Half Legal said lateral hiring is an effective strategy for improving firm revenue. Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of lawyers said their law firm will increase its hiring of partner- or senior-level attorneys in the next two years.
The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a premier legal staffing and consulting solutions firm specializing in the placement of lawyers, paralegals and other highly skilled legal professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on 175 telephone interviews with lawyers at law firms in the United States and Canada.
Lawyers were asked, “How effective is lateral hiring as a strategy to improve law firm revenue?” Their responses:*
| *Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding. | |
| Very effective | 17% |
| Somewhat effective | 41% |
| Neither effective nor ineffective | 17% |
| Somewhat ineffective | 8% |
| Very ineffective | 5% |
| Don’t know/no answer | 13% |
| 101% | |
Lawyers were also asked, "Does your law firm plan to increase or decrease its hiring of law firm partners or senior-level attorneys in the next two years?" Their responses:
| Increase significantly | 2% |
| Increase somewhat | 21% |
| Keep the same | 57% |
| Decrease somewhat | 7% |
| Decrease significantly | 3% |
| Don’t know/no answer | 10% |
| 100% | |
“Lateral hiring is only as effective as a law firm’s recruiting and onboarding process,” says Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. “Firms that are expanding high-growth practice areas through strategic hires should establish clear guidelines, set realistic revenue goals and provide ongoing training to help lawyers successfully integrate into the firm and meet expectations.”
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